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  • Carbalive

CARBALIVE

Chronic liver disease affects about 29 million Europeans accounting for about 170,000 deaths at a cost of around €15.8bn. This chronic non-communicable disease is increasing at an alarming rate due to increasing European obesity, alcohol use and ageing. The three main causes of the disease; alcohol, fatty liver and viral hepatitis are amenable to prevention and treatment. Gut-derived endotoxins and bacterial translocation are central factors implicated in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease and, the development and progression of cirrhosis.

In cirrhosis, current state-of-the-art therapy to prevent recurrent complications of advanced cirrhosis is to use poorly absorbed antibiotics but long term antibiotic therapy has problems associated with bacterial resistance, infection with resistant organisms and the cost. Treatment of fatty liver and modulation of bacterial translocation in early cirrhosis to prevent complications is an unmet need.

The University of Brighton researchers are part of an academic-industrial consortium that has developed a novel, patented, safe and cheap nanoporous carbon that modulates the effects of bacterial translocation in animal models of liver disease. Our feasibility studies demonstrate that this product is now ready for validation through clinical trials.

The CARBALIVE project - Clinical evaluation of carbons of controlled porosity as a new therapeutic for the treatment of liver cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - will build on the results of our preclinical feasibility studies through international collaboration to establish the safety and efficacy of the novel oral carbon adsorbent therapy, Yaq-001 for the treatment of liver disease, now marketed as CarbaliveTM.

EU-logo

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 634579.

Project timeframe

The project ran from May 2015 to October 2019.

Project aims

We propose to investigate the safety and efficacy of this novel nanoporous carbon in patients with fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. If successful, we will be able to confirm an innovative, cost-effective and novel strategy for the management of this chronic disease in a European population.

Project findings and impact

The technology has the potential to be applied to a large number of patients because it is cheap to manufacture. It also utilises the historic safety profile of activated carbon products in addition to that shown by members of the consortium in pre-clinical studies.

If its efficacy can be determined, it can be developed quickly to start making a difference to patient’s lives.The use of this innovative therapy is expected to reduce the economic burden of the disease in Europe, allow patients to achieve enhanced quality of life, improve survival, and allow many patients to return to economic productivity.

Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation mentioned that CARBALIVE is producing impressive research in his video message about the importance of research and innovation in fighting lifestyle-related liver conditions delivered at the first EU NAFLD and NASH Policy Summit on 31 May 2017.

Research team

Dr Susan Sandeman, Prinicipal Investigator

Dr Ganesh Inglavle

Yishan Zheng

Dr Carol Howell

Professor Sergey Mikhalovsky

Output

See results on the Carbalive.eu website.

Partners

University College London, United Kingdom - Lead Partner

Mast Carbon International Ltd, United Kingdom

Alpha Bioresearch SL, Spain

A2f Associates Limited, United Kingdom

Consorci Institut D'investigacions Biomediques August PI I Sunyer, Spain

Universita Degli Studi Di Padova, Italy

Fundacio Hospital Universitari Vall D'hebron - Institut De Recerca, Spain

Alma Mater Studiorum - Universita Di Bologna, Italy

Faculdade De Medicina Da Universidade De Lisboa, Portugal

Servicio Madrileno De Salud, Spain

University of Bern, Switzerland

Assistance Publique - Hopitaux De Paris Assistance Publique, France

Yaqrit Limited, United Kingdom

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